Voting is now closed! You may still share the heroes’ pages, but votes will not count. We will be announcing the winner soon! Keep an eye out for our July Finalists later this week!
How to vote for Sarah: Simply “share” this page on Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin. You can share once per social network. We’ll keep track, and the finalist with the most shares will win! Use the “Sharing is Caring” buttons at the bottom of this post to make sure they count!
What’s a teacher to do when she knows her students need supplies to grow and learn, but she doesn’t have the budget to buy them? Music teacher Sarah got creative. When she felt her students needed risers and a better sound system for their musical education program, she started to brainstorm ways to come up with the money to make it happen. That’s how the ‘Rise Up Project’ was born. With the help of a long-time friend, Sarah and her students produced a quality album and DVD of their singing to sell. Through the sale of the albums/DVDs as well as donations, they were able to afford their supplies and all learned valuable lessons along the way. Sarah also started a fundraiser for Huntington’s Disease in honor of her mother, called ‘Bar-2-Barbara’ – a 10k walk/run/bike ride to raise funds for HD research. The event also includes a “Dare Show” where Sarah and other volunteers complete outlandish dares in exchange for donations. She travels back to her small hometown in Iowa every summer to organize and host the event which has evolved into one of the nation’s largest individually organized fundraisers for the cause. Sarah makes a point to teach her students through her lessons and actions that when you believe in something, if you put your mind (and creativity) to work, anything is possible. She was inspired to go into music education due to the lasting impression of high school music teacher. She believes music education is about inspiring and nurturing the brain through creativity to build a happier, smarter generation for the world.
- Winter Driving Safety - January 8, 2020
- A Simple Check to Support California’s Peace Officers - March 17, 2019
- California Casualty Gives Back - February 8, 2018
Yay for Sarah B.! Just imagine all of the kids/people she inspires wherever she goes! We ALL need to know “I/WE CAN!” people like Sarah.
Very inspiring. Congrats have a great time.
Sarah B. is a very inspirational person and is impacting many childrens’ (including her own, and many adults) lives in her Rise Up project as well as the Bar-2-Barbara fundraiser for Huntington’s disease.
Sarah, we are all so proud of you and hope you win this contest for June. You really deserve it.!!!!
So proud of Sarah! Loved her mom like a sister, love Sarah like my own.
Good job!!! You rock!